Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Miami University, Elon University, Purdue University Northwest. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Miami (Ohio)Oxford, OH | ElonElon, NC | Purdue UniversityHammond, IN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 75.4% | 66.3% | 72.4% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1220–1390 | 1130–1280 | 890–1140 |
| Average net price | $28,38412.6% on Pell grants | $41,5559.9% on Pell grants | $6,07928.1% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $18,161 in-state · $41,221 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $46,958Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $8,675 in-state · $16,094 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 79.8% | 84.0% | 42.9% |
| First-year retention | 90.1% | 89.8% | 65.7% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 12.6% | 9.9% | 28.1% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $55,076 | $74,545 | $48,318 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,000 | $20,500 | $21,229 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 15:1 | 11:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 16,656 | 6,452 | 5,671 |
| Consensus percentile | 44Lower is better | 26Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 67 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 13 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 50 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Miami (Ohio) | Elon | Purdue University |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #143 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #117 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #103 of 165Regional univ. (Midwest)Regional Universities (Midwest) · 2026 |
| Forbes | #239 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #147 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #168 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | Not ranked by this source | #867 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #426 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #155 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #485 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #471 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #329 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students who want small-class undergraduate teaching and a traditional residential campus at public-university prices, especially those aiming at business — and who are comfortable with a strong Greek presence.
Greek life dominates social life; visit and talk to unaffiliated students first.
Full profileStudents who learn through relationships and experience — study abroad, internships, mentored research — and who will actively use that infrastructure rather than assume the degree does the work.
Median earnings of $74,545 are modest relative to a $41,555 average net price.
Full profileStudents comparing Purdue University Northwest on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profile